End of the road
by wolfypuppypiles
Summary: The wind roared as rain pattered against metal, rumbling and hissing, almost calming. Mac was laying on his side, soaking wet hair streaked across his forehead, blood trailing down his temple, over his pale skin. He didn't move; eyes closed as he lay unconscious in his smashed jeep.


(AN: This is written for a prompt so thank you soo much to whoever sent it. This is probably my favourite fic that I've written! I listened to rainymood while writing this to get into the scene and mood and shit and I HIGHLY recommend you listening to it as you read this! It just a website that plays in the background and really helps you imagine exactly what's happening. Anyway I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!)

Mac squinted through the rain pounding his windshield, headlights barely managing to cut through the dark night.

If he had been concentrating he would have realised it was too dangerous to be driving through a storm, especially alone at two in the morning.

Instead, his mind was focussed on the giant, confusing puzzle that his father left for him.

What did a holocaust prisoner have to do with his dad's disappearance, or where he was now?

The numbers on the prisoner's arm ran around and around in his head, distracting him from the road and the tree that was about to fall across it.

Rain pelted the road as the water and rain whipped at the trees and with a huge crack, the tree fell, arcing down across the road, right in front of Mac's jeep.

He jumped, all thoughts gone from his head in an instant as he swerved, tires slipping across the wet asphalt and sending his vehicle spinning.

Mac didn't even have time to let out a cry as the jeep went speeding towards the edge of a cliff and with a gasp, he was weightless.

For a split second, he was lifted from his seat, car flying over the edge of the cliff, before he was slammed back to the ground.

Mac squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the jeep flip, world spinning around him and ears thundering with the sound of metal and glass pounding the ground and smashing around him.

His seatbelt strained against his chest, keeping him in his seat and pushing the air from his lungs until finally, his head smashed into the window and his mind went blank.

…

The wind roared as rain pattered against metal, rumbling and hissing, almost calming. Mac was laying on his side, soaking wet hair streaked across his forehead, blood trailing down his temple, over his pale skin.

He didn't move; eyes closed as he lay unconscious in his smashed jeep. It had come to a stop on its side, Mac's shoulder and head pressed against the broken glass beneath him.

Water trickled in through the broken window above him, falling into the jeep to land on Mac's lax face. He frowned at the cold wetness hitting his cheek before those droplets rolled down over his parted lips and into his mouth, wetting his tongue with the taste of the rain.

Mac groaned, scrunching his eyes shut as he slowly woke. His head was spinning, pain making itself known pretty much everywhere. His neck and head throbbed, his chest and arm hurt like he'd been hit with baseball bats and he hadn't even opened his eyes yet.

Rain dripped over his eyes and Mac lifted a heavy arm to wipe it away, clumsy hand swiping over his forehead and bushing his hair back away from his face.

It was dark when he opened his eyes and all he could see was the windshield in front of him and the trees and shrubs on the other side.

He blinked the water away, trying to focus his blurry vision and lifted his hand again, only to see his palm and fingers slicked with blood. He paused, taking it all in.

Why was he all wet?

He shifted, trying to sit up, only to freeze when pain tore up his leg, pulling a scream from his mouth. His pulse raced and he pulled in quick, panicked breaths as he looked down at himself. The front of his car was crushed, and although it was difficult to see in the dark, there was no denying what he felt. His legs were pinned. He couldn't move.

What had happened? Where was he?

"J-Jack?"

His voice was quieter than he had intended and he tried again because Jack was usually with him when he got into trouble.

He looked around the wrecked vehicle, searching for any sign of his team. "Jack? Riley?"

The car was empty. He was in the driver's seat which probably meant he wasn't on the job otherwise Jack would have been the one behind the wheel. He didn't have an earpiece in either so, it wasn't a solo mission.

He was off the clock, alone and hurt and he couldn't remember why. Panic started to swell up inside him. He was completely in the dark and not at all in control. Mac didn't like not being in control, he didn't like not knowing.

Mac liked knowing everything, it made him feel as if he had control over what happened to him. He knew how to fix things and get through any locked door. He could disarm bombs and make them out of kitchen supplies but there he was in a smashed car with no clue how he got there.

'Take a moment, Angus. What's the first thing you do when you have a problem?' His grandfather's words came to his mind, halting his panicked thoughts in their tracks.

He answered aloud, trying to concentrate through his headache. "Think it through and make a plan."

Mac took a deep breath to steady himself. First things first, he needed to get somewhere safe so he could call for help. It didn't matter where he was if he called Jack and the team Riley could just do her thing and find him.

Mac blinked in the darkness, wiping his hand over his eyes again as he searched for his phone. His hand came away red, blood slipping between his cold fingers and he cursed. His head must have been bleeding. No wonder it hurt so much.

He tried his best not to move more than he had to, not wanting to pull on his legs again as he attempted to think through the pain crushing his limbs.

Mac's hands crept forward, sweeping through broken glass and debris from the tree until his fingers finally brushed against the solid form of his phone.

He let out a relieved breath and turned it on, ignoring the cracks across the screen as he quickly dialled Jacks number.

It rang four times before the call was picked up, Jack's tired voice coming through. "Mac? It's two thirty in the morning, you should be asleep."

Mac felt dizzy with relief at hearing his partner, and he squeezed the phone tight as he tried to keep his voice steady. "Jack. I need help. I crashed the jeep and-"

Jacks voice came back, frantic and loud, all traces of sleep gone from his quick words. "What?! Where are you? What happened?"

Mac's throat was becoming thick with emotion, fear threatening to choke him as he spoke. "I don't know, I don't remember anything. I just woke up in my jeep, it's all smashed and on its side and...Jack, I'm pinned down. I can't get out."

Mac closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing down as Jack replied, bedclothes rustling and furniture bumping on his end of the phone as he hurried to get to his door.

"Okay, it's gonna be alright. You hear me? I'm going to find you. I'm going to get Riley and Boze and Matty and we're gonna come get you. Just hang on and stay on the line with me. Everything's going to be okay."

His voice was small and shaky but he felt better just being able to hear his partner. "Thanks, Jack."

Mac shivered hard, a gasp of pain coming from him as the tremor moved his pinned legs.

Jacks voice came back, laced with concern. "Mac, how bad are you hurt?"

Rain continued to fall onto his face, running into his mouth and wetting his words as he tried to speak through the dripping water. "I think one of my legs are broken. I can-ughh-I can feel the bone. The front of the jeeps crushed, pinning me down at my thighs. It hurts. Probable concussion and broken ribs, and my head's bleeding."

Jack swore, panting a little as he hurried to his car. "Okay, we'll get some help out to you. Just keep talking to me."

Mac tried, finding it harder to find the right words. "It's cold. Raining. I can't see anything but trees."

The sound of a car engine rumbled through the phone and Mac shivered hands shaking where he held the phone.

They were both quiet for a moment before Mac finally said what they were both thinking.

"You need to call the others. You have t-to hang up."

Jack sighed, knowing it was true but hating it all the same. "I know."

Mac didn't want him to go either, but they couldn't get any help if the others didn't know what was happening. "I'll be here when you call b-back. I pro-promise."

His words were split with shivers as his teeth chattered and Jack's voice came back, anguished. "I'll be as quick as I can, okay? You stay awake."

Mac nodded, heart sinking when the call ended. Jacks voice was gone, leaving him with only the pounding rain to keep him company.

He felt very alone in that moment and his own words came back to him, from that old conversation he'd had with Bozer.

'On my worst days, I almost died alone.'

Another hard shiver ran through him and he couldn't hold back the whimper that came with the agony in his legs. He'd be fine, Jack was coming to get him. He just had to wait.

He hugged the phone tight to his chest, curling into himself as much as he could to conserve heat. There wasn't much he could do. The rain had already soaked through his shirt, slicking his hair to his forehead and saturating his skin. He was cold down to the bone and the frigid air coming through the window bit at him relentlessly.

Mac knew the signs of hypothermia and also the signs of shock but they were beginning to blur together and he couldn't tell one from the other. He was shaking, which would be shock. He was confused and his words were so hard to get out, which could be from either shock or hypothermia.

There was nothing he could do for his bad leg, and no way to keep himself warm.

It wasn't looking great.

…

Jack felt sick.

He and Mac had been in some tight spots, but it had always been together. When Jack had gotten that call and heard Mac's voice, the way it trembled, his stomach had turned.

He did not do well when Mac was in trouble, but when he was in trouble and somewhere Jack couldn't reach, he damn near lost his mind.

He needed to get his kid back, now.

He called Matty and then the two others, telling them nothing but the fact that it was an emergency that required their attention right away.

He drove faster, knowing they didn't have long to find their boy.

Riley's hair was a mess and she tugged restlessly on her pyjama top as she walked into the war room, Bozer right behind her. Matty wasn't happy to have been woken up but her frown softened as soon as she saw Jacks face.

He paced the room, running his hand over his head as his other hand gripped his phone. He was in sweatpants and a thin t-shirt, barefoot on the carpet.

He faced them all, voice hard and serious, not at all like himself. He got right to the point. "Mac's hurt."

Riley's mouth fell open as Bozers face paled. "What? How?"

"Where is he?"

Jack grabbed Rileys laptop from her hand and opened it, shoving it back to her as he rambled. "He called me saying he crashed his jeep but he didn't know where he was. He's pinned down and hurt and we need to find him. Right now. I'm going to call him back and you're going to track the call."

Riley nodded, setting it up as she tried to process what they'd just been told.

Bozer ran over to the huge screen and tapped a few things, connecting Jacks call to it so they could all hear and speak to Mac.

Jack was practically shaking with restless energy and he hurriedly dialled the familiar number. "Mac?"

…

The rain came harder, the hush of water hitting the car growing louder as it pounded the twisted metal. Mac closed his eyes and tried to turn away from the downpour as it rolled down his face.

It ran down into his mouth and to his nose, too much, too cold. Mac coughed, harsh and agonising as it shook him and his aching chest, and he choked on the water dripping past his lips.

It felt as if he were being waterboarded, water running into his mouth without giving him a chance to breathe, making his chest feel tight with panic.

Mac let out a cry and slammed a hand down on the ground beneath him, trying to push himself up as much as he could. His other hand held his phone close to his chest, keeping it as dry as possible in his watery prison.

He could barely see through the rain pouring in and when his phone finally rang he pulled it back to his ear, voice breaking.

"J-Jack?"

"Mac, I've got the team here. Riley's tracking your phone right now. How are you doing?"

Mac spat out a mouthful of water, gasping as his breaths sped up, too fast. "I can't breathe. Jack, the w-waters coming in too f-fast. Get me out!"

Riley sounded scared, her words hurried and desperate. "I'm trying to track your phone but the storms messing with the signal!"

Mac slammed his free hand back down on the ground, ignoring the way the glass dug into his palm as he pushed himself up as much as he could. All he wanted was to be able to turn his head away from the water but the movement pulled at his broken leg.

Pain arced through him, spiking up his leg to his hip and spine, and Mac almost dropped the phone as he screamed.

"Mac!" Bozer sounded as if he were about to cry but Mac was already ahead of him.

He was losing it, unable to stay calm. He sobbed, gasping and crying as he fell back to the ground, the pain making him dizzy.

"I can't get out."

Jacks voice came back and Mac closed his eyes, imagining Jack was with him, protecting him as he spoke.

"Mac, I need you to keep calm. Listen to me, we will get you out but it's going to take a while and I can't have you moving around. You need to breathe."

The blonde shook his throbbing head, although he knew they couldn't see him. "I can't. I'm going to drown."

Jack's voice was firm, cutting through the roar of the wind. "No, you're not. Use that head of yours, buddy. You gotta think of something to keep the water out."

Mac panted, scrunching his eyes shut as another helpless whimper fell from his mouth with the rainwater. "I c-can't think. I hit m-my head. I can't m-move."

Matty's voice came, firm, leaving no room for arguing. "MacGyver, you can and you will. We are working on our end to find you but you need to pull your weight and keep yourself alive till we get there. Is that clear?"

Mac wiped a hand over his eyes, trying to see through the rain. "Y-yes Ma'am."

Her voice softened significantly, calming her agent down in an instant. "Good. Take a deep breath. You're okay."

Mac did as he was told, sucking in air and blinking through the dark, trying to find anything he could use to end the waterboarding.

There wasn't much to work with and his mind was fuzzy from the concussion and panic. He looked desperately around, seeing nothing but glass and smashed plastic, trees and-

"I th-think I g-got something." He may not be able to reach it, though. The passenger seat could be flipped up to allow mechanics to work on the vehicle underneath and if he could just reach the lever, he could flip it and use it to shelter himself from the rain.

But the only way that he could possibly reach the lever was if he moved, like a lot. And that would hurt. A lot.

Mac clenched his teeth and tried to find his courage. He had a plan, all he had to do was stick to it and he'd be fine.

"Jack? C-can you talk t-to me?" He felt stupid for asking but he knew how much could go wrong if he moved and he was scared. He just needed a distraction, a familiar, comforting voice to latch onto.

"Of course, man. Whatever you need, I'm here. I'm right here."

Mac took a deep breath, focusing on the sound of Jacks voice.

"We're gonna get you out of this mess-" Mac placed the phone down, putting it on speaker.

"-and we're gonna get you fixed up." He pressed his palm to the ground, the other reaching up for the seat.

"Maybe get that nurse that has a crush on you. Deborah, or Daisy or somethin'."

Mac grit his teeth and pushed himself up, Jacks voice suddenly blocked out by the agonising pain coming from his legs. His hand was so close to the lever but he could feel the broken bone in his leg shifting and grinding against itself inside him.

A scream tore from him as he forced himself to move, pulling at his legs and angering his broken ribs. He could feel something cutting at his thigh, stabbing in deeper as he moved, making his head spin dangerously. But he was so close and he reached further, dripping fingers curling desperately around the lever and pulling.

The seat flipped onto its side, creating a cover over Mac and stopping the rain from flowing in.

Mac's scream of pain ended with a whimper as he fell back to the ground, eyes rolling back into his head as he panted.

His mind slipped, dipping into and out of consciousness like a drowning swimmer being pulled down by the waves before kicking up again, only to sink once more.

He drifted, the pain whiting out all other senses.

…

Riley had her hand pressed to her mouth, tears streaming down her face as she watched the screen helplessly.

Bozer could barely breathe, lip wobbling as he listened to Macs painful drags of breath through the hissing rain.

Jack felt as if his heart had stopped at that scream. He called out, begging his friend to be okay. "Mac! Answer me, please!"

…

Mac's awareness came back slowly, in warped, muted sounds.

"-ac, please buddy. Let me know you're okay!"

He breathed, chest aching terribly, his eyes still closed as he tried to find the strength to answer.

"Hmmmnot 'kay."

A shaky breath came from the phone and Mac tried to blink open his eyes, only getting them halfway.

"What? Mac, what's going on?"

He was so tired, he just wanted to be somewhere warm and dry where he didn't hurt. Somewhere with Jack and the others so that they could take care of him.

It was funny, he was so cold and yet he wasn't shaking anymore.

His voice was small and weak, words slurred far worse than they were before. "Hmmnot sha...king 'nymore, Jack."

He could hear Bozers voice, worried and far away. "He's hypothermic."

Mac would have nodded if he'd had the energy. His words came as whispers. "Can't feel ...my...hands."

Jacks voice cracked and wobbled. "We're gonna find you, Mac. Just hang on a little longer."

Then his voice was far away again. "Riley, how much longer till you have him?"

Mac was falling asleep, his mind slipping again as he listened to Riley talk. She had such a nice voice.

"I'm trying but the storms messing with the signal. I'm trying to use satellites to narrow it down as well as security cameras that might have picked up his jeep but...wait...I got it!"

Jack's voice got loud all of a sudden but Mac didn't know why. "We're coming! You hear me? We're coming to get you right now, Mac just hold on! Matty send a rescue team to that location right now!"

…

Jack had never driven faster in his life. Not when they had been chased by terrorists, not when they'd had a bomb in the backseat, never had he been so determined to get to point B.

Riley directed him through the rain, shouting out directions from beside him as he careened down dark roads at breakneck speed.

Finally, they came to a skidding halt, the car fishtailing dangerously before Jack got it under control, stopping in front of the tree blocking the road.

Jack didn't bother turning the car off, jumping out and tearing through the rain to the cliff where the trees and shrub were crushed to hell.

He stopped there for just a second, breath halting in his chest as Riley pointed her flashlight down the bank. And there lay the jeep, on its side, crushed like an empty beer can and trapping their teammate inside.

Jack threw himself down the hill, sprinting to his kid as he screamed desperately through the night. "Mac! I'm coming!"

The mud shifted and slid under him but he didn't care, racing to the crumpled jeep and peering inside the windows.

There he was, laying on his side, pinned down and soaking wet. Macgyver wasn't moving.

Jack wasted no time, using his elbow to smash what was left of the back window so he could crawl inside. He wound his way around the back seats and through the jeep till he got to Mac as Riley shone her flashlight through the window. The beam lighting up the inside of the car to illuminate the scene in graphic colour.

Jack froze. There was blood smeared everywhere. It was mixing with the rain to leave long rivulets down Mac's face, rivers of it flooding through that soaking blonde hair. But most alarmingly it flowed freely from beneath the steering wheel and dashboard that were crushing Mac's legs.

He inched forward, hand carefully touching his partner's shoulder but not moving him. "Mac? I'm here, buddy. Talk to me."

Mac didn't react, his still form curled on the floor, soaked and dirtied. God, what if he was too late? What if Mac had slipped away already?

Jack felt bile rising up his throat and he quickly clenched his teeth against it. He didn't have time to break down, it wouldn't help anybody and Riley was waiting out there to hear about their friend.

Jack carefully pressed two fingers against the blond's throat, his skin alarmingly cold. But there was a heartbeat, sluggish and erratic as it was. He was alive.

He turned enough to see Riley crouching outside of the car, peering in through the window with tears in her eyes. "He's alive but he's in bad shape! How long till help arrives?"

Riley sniffed, wiping the rain from her face with one hand as she looked down at her phone. "Um, about ten minutes I think. The roads are flooded though, it might take longer if they have to go around."

Jack sighed and shuffled forward trying to see Macs face as he muttered under his breath. "We might not have that much time."

Riley moved around to the front of the jeep, aiming her torch beam inside as she lifted a hand to her mouth at what she saw. "Oh my god, Mac."

Jack carefully positioned himself over the blonde, seeing what Riley had. His lips were blue but they were moving slowly, muttering quietly.

Mac placed a hand on the kid's chest, ever so gentle so as not to move him. "Mac? Buddy, can you hear me?"

He quickly stripped off his jacket and laid it over the kid, trying to shelter his soaking frame from the freezing wind. Mac didn't move but his eyes fluttered just a little as Jack shuffled closer to hear what he was saying.

"HmmJack...coming to...gotta do it…"

Jack clenched his teeth together as Riley spoke up from out in the rain, her thin frame shaking from the cold. Mac was alarmingly still in front of her.

"What's he saying?"

Jack looked back down to the kid as Mac let out a whimper muttering some more. "I can't… need mmm...help me."

He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes as Mac whimpered his name again before another plea for his father came through.

"J-Jacck...I...Dad. Come back."

Jesus, the kid was in rough shape.

"Nothin', he's just babbling nonsense."

Jack reached forward and picked up Mac's frozen hand, those grateful fingers like ice, so cold it stung Jack's own skin. He gently held the familiar hand, squeezing it as he tried to wake his partner up, to let him know he wasn't alone.

"Mac? We're here, buddy. We found you. Wake up."

Mac's eyes fluttered once more, a shuddering whimper rumbling from him as his fingers twitched in Jacks hold.

Jacks breathing sped up excitedly and he placed his wide palm on Mac's chest again to ground him. "That's it! Open your eyes, you can do it!"

Mac rolled his head back just enough for Jack to see him better as he peeled his eyes open, gaze glassy and unfocused.

His eyes roamed over Jacks' face, confused until he finally focused enough to lock his eyes on his partners. A shaky breath left his mouth as his clumsy lips tried to form Jack's name.

"J...ack. You c-came?"

God he was so pale, Jack tried to drag a smile onto his face but he was sure it didn't quite work. "Yeah, of course, I did! Rileys here too, we're gonna take care of you. Just lay still, okay? Helps coming."

Mac was so weak but his fingers squeezed Jacks hand as his other came up to try and grab at his partner, a whimper breaking his voice. "Get me out."

Jack shook his head, pressing down on Mac's chest to keep him still. "No, Mac don't move. You have to stay still."

Mac scrunched his eyes shut, tears rolling down his already damp skin, his voice coming as a whisper. "I can't feel my legs anymore, Jack."

Riley let out a sob, the beam of light shaking as her hand trembled. Her voice was high and wet with tears. She'd never seen Mac so scared. Mac was never scared. He always knew what he was doing, always found a way out. To see him so hurt and helpless broke her heart.

"That's just the cold." She lied. "Helps coming, Mac. They'll be here soon."

Jack wiped his hand over Mac's face, brushing his soaked hair back on his forehead. "Just stay with us. We'll get you fixed up and back home. You'll be nice and warm and we can watch movies or documentaries, anything that you want, okay? We just have to wait a little longer."

Mac's eyes fluttered shut, his breaths slowing. "Don't...leave m-me."

Jacks vision blurred with tears and he shook his head as Riley pressed her hand to her mouth. "I won't. I promise. Riley and I are gonna be here the whole time."

The two agents heads snapped up at the sound of approaching sirens but Mac didn't move.

His hand was growing heavier in Jack's hold as he turned back to the blonde. "Hear that? Helps here. We'll get you out really soon, Mac."

Riley stood, waving her flashlight as she yelled out into the dark. "We're here! Hurry!"

Macs eyes fluttered again, trying to open as he mumbled. "Hmsorry I...didn't find you."

Jack frowned brushing his fingers over Mac's porcelain cheek. "What? Mac, I'm right here."

The mumbles were getting quieter, weaker as noise exploded behind them. People were yelling, sirens screaming as help ran down the hill towards them. Jack leant forward to hear Mac better.

"Dad...I'm sorry."

Jack closed his eyes as his heart clenched and he squeezed Mac's fingers again. "No, no, Mac. It's me. It's Jack. I'm right here, come back."

Mac was getting weaker and Jack's heart was pounding hard against his chest with worry. They didn't have much time left.

But help was there and they moved fast, paramedics crawling through the back, where Jack had come in. He had to move away, had to wait outside the jeep with Riley to let them do their work and he swore he'd never done anything harder than letting go of that hand.

He pulled Riley to his side, holding her tight as they both watched the rescue team work on their friend.

A c-collar was put around Mac's neck, an oxygen mask strapped over his face and needles placed and taped. He made occasional noises of pain, calling out for Jack or his dad to help him and Jack had to hold himself back every time.

They had to cut through the car to get to him, had to use the jaws of life to pry the crushed metal open enough to free his legs, and when they did the frigid air was split by Mac's agonised scream of pain for the third time that night.

Hands held him down and pulled him out, onto a backboard when he was yanked free, his voice breaking through his scream and giving way to weak gasps.

His eyes rolled back into his head and his hands, that had previously been pushing and grabbing at the people around him, fell limp. They dragged him onto the backboard and strapped him down as one of the paramedics called out.

"He's crashing!"

Jacks knees buckled and he fell to the muddy ground as they carried Mac away. He couldn't breathe, Mac disappearing up the hill and into the ambulance as rain poured down over Jacks' face, covering the tears that fell as he gasped.

Mac was dying and he couldn't go with him. All he was left with was a wrecked Jeep, stained with his partner's blood as it washed away into the mud.

He didn't remember Riley pulling him up from the dirt, or Bozer running through the rain to get to them. He didn't remember the car ride to the hospital, or Matty's hands on his damp cheeks as she tried to rouse him from his daze.

All he remembered was the way Mac had begged him not to leave and the way his fingers had pulled weakly at Jack's hand when he had to let it go.

When he finally snapped out of his trance, the first thing he saw was Matty talking to a doctor, her hands flying around as she demanded information about her agent.

Jack turned his gaze to where Riley was half asleep on Bozers shoulder, the both of them looking out of it and tear stained. Bozers hands were shaking.

"Where is he?"

Bozers face snapped to Jacks as Riley sat up, rubbing a hand over her eyes.

"Jack. You're with us?"

Jack looked around, trying to determine what time it was from the emergency room around him, the fluorescent lights making it impossible to determine the hour. He asked again, coming back to himself.

"Where is he? Mac. I need to see him."

Bozer exchanged a look with Riley as he answered, hands clenching anxiously in front of him. "He's been in surgery for a few hours. They won't tell us anything. Matty's trying to find out more, now."

Jack looked back to their boss, her voice raising and making the nurse pale and hold up his hands in surrender.

It lasted a few minutes until Matty finally marched over, nurse obediently following behind her.

She gestured impatiently to the man. "Tell them what you told me."

The poor guy looked nervous, clearing his throat before doing as he was told. "Um, I was only in there for a few minutes but Mr MacGyver sustained serious injuries from the crash. He was hypothermic and in shock, mostly unresponsive and having trouble breathing.

"When the car flipped his head was smashed against the window. I don't know how bad that head injury was but I know the doctors working on him were worried about his level of consciousness. The biggest problem was his leg. When he crashed the front of his car was crushed and pinned him down. His femur was broken and the dashboard...it sliced into him. In the position it was, it was the only thing stopping him from bleeding out, so when he was freed from the wreck he started haemorrhaging."

Bozer looked as if he were about to pass out. Jack felt numb as Matty spoke up. "Will he lose the leg?"

Riley looked horrified at the question but they all knew it was a real possibility. The nurse looked helpless, shrugging.

"They'll try their best but honestly, the biggest priority is just keeping him alive."

Jack hung his head, placing a hand over his eyes as his elbow rested against his knee. Matty's voice was quiet. "Thank you."

The nurse's footsteps hurried away and Jack sighed. "What are we gonna do?"

Bozers voice was hollow. "If he loses his leg he's not going to be able to-"

Jack interrupted, tone hard and unrelenting. "He's not going to. He's going to be fine. He's not losing anything in some stupid car crash that-"

Matty's hand found the back of his neck, gently massaging over the hair at the nape of his neck, calming his heart rate down. He sighed. "Sorry."

Matty was amazingly calm, or at least she was on the outside. "We'll take care of him. That's what we'll do. Just like always."

Riley looked at the floor, exhausted. "What was he even doing out there?"

Bozer sat up straighter, hand diving into his pocket to pull out a scrap of paper. "Oh, I found this on the bench after you called."

It was a note, Mac's handwriting scrawled over the paper. The letters were messy, alluding to how tired he'd been when he wrote it.

'Can't sleep. Going for a drive to clear my head. Don't be mad. Love you.'

Jack took the note, lip wobbling as he read it over and over. "Dammit, kid."

Bozer's voice was losing its stability, guilt colouring his words and making them shake.

"I should have known he wouldn't sleep. I should have stopped him, I-"

Jack shook his head. "This isn't on you. It's not your job to babysit him and he's trained to be good at sneaking around. You couldn't have known."

Jack handed the note back, unable to stare at it any longer. It hurt too much, feeling like too much of a goodbye.

The waiting room at a hospital was one of those places where time didn't feel real. The lights never changed, the clock ticked and pointed out numbers that didn't have any meaning. Hours melted together making two feel like four and eight feel like three.

Jack didn't know how long they'd been there, just that his sweatpants were stiff with dried mud and that someone had put shoes on his feet and a jacket around his shoulders. He didn't remember when that happened or who had done it.

It didn't matter, nothing did but Mac.

Finally, after hours or days, who could tell, a tired looking Doctor came to greet them.

They stood, hearts thundering too loud as they listened eagerly for news. The Doctor's face gave no indication of whether her news was good or bad and Jack felt as if his knees might give out again.

"He made it through the surgery but it was touch and go. He lost a lot of blood and there was significant damage to his right leg, as well as the head injury. We lost him a few times and I'm not going to lie, recovery is going to be rough...but he made it."

Riley fell back into her chair, looking pale as Bozer's hands jumped towards her protectively.

Jack had to know. "His leg? Is it…?"

He didn't know how to ask. Was it gone? Was it broken beyond repair?

The doctor nodded. "It was badly broken and we were worried about crush syndrome being an issue but the fluid loading worked well and we were able to salvage the leg. He's in the ICU so we can monitor him properly for any complications but with physical therapy and proper rest and care he should gain most, if not all, sensation and function."

Jack had to admit that he didn't know what most of it meant but he understood the gist of it. Mac was going to be okay.

Jack shook her hand. "Thank you."

She smiled, nodding. "You're welcome. He's being settled into his room now. I'll send someone out to you once he's ready for visitors."

She left and it all came crashing down on Jack at once. The worry, the guilt, the crushing panic and grief that came with knowing that Mac had died on the operating table, alone and surrounded by strangers after Jack had promised not to leave him.

He fell to his chair and put his head in his hands, sobbing loudly in the deserted emergency room.

…

The ICU didn't allow anyone but family in to see their patient's. Luckily Mac's family was right there waiting for him.

Matty had organised a large room for him so that they could all stay there without getting in the way of Mac's treatment. He had his own team of doctors and nurses and the best care that the Phoenix could offer.

It had been a week since the accident and Mac had been opening his eyes for short periods of time, not speaking yet, just blinking through his heavily drugged haze.

He was looking much better than he had in the rain. His hair was cleaned and brushed, lips pink instead of blue and his fingers were warm in Jack's hand.

"I'm sorry man, the jeep's nothing but scrap. I took a look at it myself and I don't think even you could fix it. I told them not to dump it though. Thought you could make a microwave out of it or something. They're saving it for you to look at once you're better. If you want to."

Mac's fingers curled in his hold, weak and probably mostly instinctive. Mac wasn't really all there yet, his mind too rattled and drugged to do much.

Jack curled Mac's arm towards the kid's chest, before pulling it back out slowly, gently stretching the muscles so they wouldn't atrophy so badly while he recovered.

Mac blinked at him, watching him with more awareness than he usually did. Jack paused and leant forward. "Mac? Can you hear me?"

Mac blinked, blue eyes focused on his partners face as a moan slipped from his mouth.

Jack smiled, placing a hand on Mac's chest and rubbing comforting circles over his hospital gown. "Hey buddy, you're okay. Focus on me."

Mac moaned again, sounding unhappy as he frowned. His hands twitched on the blankets, one of them coming up to pull at the nasal cannula under his nose. Jack got there first, holding his hand and talking to him.

"No, leave that alone, Mac. Don't move around too much."

Mac squeezed his fingers again as he tried to get his mouth to work. "J...ack."

Jack beamed, ecstatic just to hear his voice again. "There you are. Man, I've missed you. Even those nerdy lectures that no one likes."

Mac frowned, looking around the room in confusion. "Where…?"

Jack watched him carefully, preparing to press a button to give Mac more pain meds if he started to panic.

"You were in a car accident but you're okay now. You're in the hospital. Do you remember what happened?"

Mac seemed calm enough, movements slow and tired as he looked at the medical equipment around him. Even in his drugged state he probably knew more about them than Jack did.

"I coul...dn't find my...dad."

Jack nodded. "Yeah. I know buddy."

Mac's eyes found him again. "He sent me c-clues."

Jack wasn't sure what he was getting at and simply listened as Mac continued. "You came. You found me."

His fingers curled, pulling at Jacks' hand. "Of course I did. I'll always come save you, Mac. You know that."

Mac nodded tiredly, words a little stronger, more determined. "I don't...want to look f-for him any...more."

Jack frowned, concerned. Mac had been looking for him for so long why was he giving up now? "Mac-"

The kid was determined to speak, as clumsy as his mouth was, he got the words out anyway. "I don't...need him."

Jack didn't know what to say. He'd been the one to push Mac to find his dad in the first place and he felt responsible for what happened to him, but Mac was clinging to his fingers as tight as he could, gaze unwavering.

"No, you don't."

The corner of Mac's mouth twitched upwards in a lazy smile. God, Jack had missed it. "You stayed with me. I could...hear you talking t-to me."

Jacks eyes pricked with tears as he watched Mac smile, weak as a kitten and just as cute. He huffed out a laugh, squeezing his partners fingers.

"Of course I did. I promised didn't I?"

Mac nodded, eyes dipping low as he tired himself out. "I don't...need...him."

Jack's lip wobbled as he watched the kid fall asleep, the meaning of his words clear. He didn't need to find his dad, he didn't need to look for someone that sent cryptic clues instead of birthday cards. Mac had a family and it was sitting right next to him.

Jack brushed that blonde hair back as Mac fell asleep. "That's right, buddy. You don't. I got you and I'm not leaving."

(AN:I really hope you liked it! I hate the title though so if you can think of a better one let me know but also please let me know what you think of the story! I worked really hard on it)


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